Do younger gamers like games from 16-bit era?

[watermark]

Those of us who grew up with 8-bit and 16-bit systems look back on pixel games with rosy nostalgia. So even though replaying them today we notice some of their flaws (Oh man, this dialogue is awful. How did I read through this?!) we still hold these games dear.

In recent years, Nintendo and companies like Square have re-released these oldies onto modern platforms (The pixel Final Fantasy series on Steam for example) so that a new generation of gamers can enjoy them too.

So to you guys young gamers in teens and early twenties who play these games for the first time, how do you feel about them? How do you think they compare to modern games?

 

[vietanhdang2017]

I think those old games are suck. People who try to copycat those old games with excuse of nostalgic feeling or classical RPG are doing all wrong.
If there are anything game devs of this era should learn, they should learn from mobile games

 

[EpicFILE]

I was born 1996, and I grew up in PS2 era.
The 16 bit era games I played are GBA versions of Final Fantasy (played them around 2015).

Somehow I find the gameplay rather ordinary compared to original GBA games
(like Megaman Battle Network or 3rd gen Pokemon).

What makes it enjoyable is the characters and the story.
Especially Final Fantasy 6.
All the characters are relatable and the pacing is pretty interesting
(shifting the focus from one group of characters to another, but always feel coherent).

I think if they want to re-release the early Final Fantasy again,
they have to update the gameplay (not sure if they updated the gameplay too or graphics only).
I enjoy turn-based RPGs, but the one in early Final Fantasy does feel kinda outdated.
Everything else other than gameplay is already good.

 

[Mushi]

I'm a younger person and I really enjoyed some of the old stuff like Chrono Trigger and some old Final Fantasies and Trails in the Sky!

I think Chrono and Trails battle systems are made very well that they're more fun than many turn-based systems I tried in modern games, but mostly I like jrpg-style of games because they focus a lot on characters and story and it's a bit slower paced than like a movie or an action rpg. Please don't learn from mobile games, all their stuff is very shallow.

(Btw watermark I played some of your rpgs a while back and I'm a big fan)

 

[Redeye]

Not really. I grew up in the Playstation 2 era, and I haven't touched any of the retro RPGs. Games like the first few Final Fantasies and Dragon Quests are the progenitors of the tropes and cliches found in modern RPGs, which is why I'm not very interested in going back to play them. Based on what I've experienced, I fear that they would just come across as too generic for me to sit through (not to mention how tediously balanced older games tend to be).

 

[ATT_Turan]

If there are anything game devs of this era should learn, they should learn from mobile games

That, to me, is bordering on the absurd. The vast majority of mobile "games" are not games in any sense of having a progression through story or having any interesting decisions to make.

Most of the mobile games I try are terribly translated copies of, like, three different core mechanics, all intended to waste time and get you to buy useless things. The majority of what's left over are ports of actual games designed on other systems (or classics like in the OP).

Exactly what are a few mobile games that you think game developers should learn from?

 

[HexMozart88]

I think those old games are suck. People who try to copycat those old games with excuse of nostalgic feeling or classical RPG are doing all wrong.
If there are anything game devs of this era should learn, they should learn from mobile games

OK, saying classical games suck is fine, but learning from mobile games? What??? Mobile games are objectively some of the worst out there. They are literally made with the intention of being bad.

 

[Tiamat-86]

not a younger person but just wanted to chime in about the FF pixel remasters.
those sprites are horrible. SNES and PS1 versions had better graphics.

and just dislike mobile games in general.
they are mostly just gimmick micro games or just copy/paste asset flip games.
might as well be playing facebook games

 

[vietanhdang2017]

That, to me, is bordering on the absurd. The vast majority of mobile "games" are not games in any sense of having a progression through story or having any interesting decisions to make.

Most of the mobile games I try are terribly translated copies of, like, three different core mechanics, all intended to waste time and get you to buy useless things. The majority of what's left over are ports of actual games designed on other systems (or classics like in the OP).

Exactly what are a few mobile games that you think game developers should learn from?

This is how you learn from mobile games, it also apply for learning from PC games as well.
1. Find some games that catches your interest
2. Install and try to play for few rounds
3. If you found st interest, write it down, try to replicate it in your project
4. Repeat above steps
Not just about gameplay, story. There are also many other things to learn as well from the mobile games, for example:
How to make the much of profit from the game.
How to draw people attention & have them to install your game, despite the fact that your game are suck.
Lol, when you released at least 3 games, you will understand what I am talking about

 

[Arctica]

No I'm not going to bloat my phone up with mobile games that wont interest me at all and want to be vampires on my bank account. The thing you have outlined are things people do with non mobile games anyway. You just support mobile gaming, that's all.

 

[vietanhdang2017]

No I'm not going to bloat my phone up with mobile games that wont interest me at all and want to be vampires on my bank account.

I mentioned in step 1:
1. Find some games that catches your interest
Who told you to bloat your phone with games that won't interest you?

 

[watermark]

I think those old games are suck. People who try to copycat those old games with excuse of nostalgic feeling or classical RPG are doing all wrong.
If there are anything game devs of this era should learn, they should learn from mobile games

I guess it depends on what you goal is. If your goal is just to make money, mobile games have business models that are interesting. The same could be said of loot crates, booster packs, and various other money making models. I do agree that we could learn something from these, especially if we want to go commercial. The advice you gave on the second post is sound, but...how to say, it's very...good business advice.

Since we are talking business, it reminds me of Elon Musk, who said in some interview I forgot something along the lines of: Are you making the world a better place?

You ask how is making silly games making the world better? Instead of say, inventing life saving medicine or some other serious stuff like that.

Well, I remember how some of these silly pixel games of limited colors and mediocre writing brought immense joy to my life. Some of my fondest memories were of playing these games and ranks right up there with my best travels, time with friends, and first loves. I wouldn't trade them for anything, and I thank the weird geniuses who came up with these virtual adventures.

Of course making money is good. No one is gonna argue that. But I think a lot of us here want to, regardless of money, bring more happiness to others in our own silly way. And it makes us happy to do so.

 

[ATT_Turan]

This is how you learn from mobile games, it also apply for learning from PC games as well.
...
Not just about gameplay, story. There are also many other things to learn as well from the mobile games, for example:
How to make the much of profit from the game.
How to draw people attention & have them to install your game, despite the fact that your game are suck.

That's not being a game developer. That's being a con man, and I'm very happy not learning how to do that. People have been acting that way for centuries, before we had mobile technology. If you think that's behavior that people should strive for, I do not want to live in your world.

Lol, when you released at least 3 games, you will understand what I am talking about

I have released and worked on more than 3 games, but I will never be associated with 1 game of the kind you describe.

 

[HexMozart88]

Exactly as stated above. Those business tactics are scummy, and border on unethical. I'd rather be obscure than get caught up in that garbage.

 

[Tiamat-86]

most places call it plagiarism. there's a fine line between a cliché and a concept. you have to be very careful of what side of the line you end up on or could end up with a lawsuit.

 

[Kes]

Lol, when you released at least 3 games, you will understand what I am talking about

I've released more than 3 games. I understand what you are saying, but understanding and agreeing are 2 different things. What you are suggesting is something I wouldn't touch, I have too much self respect.

 

[Lumi-Sensei]

I think those old games are suck. People who try to copycat those old games with excuse of nostalgic feeling or classical RPG are doing all wrong.
If there are anything game devs of this era should learn, they should learn from mobile games

Why not both? Going with nostalgic people is good; I love it.
Make a profitable mobile game is good too because the market is now toward there.
I am not the kind of person who degrades other views and praises others.
More like a type of people who accept to do both things if I can

 

[gelboy]

I can only speak for myself, but I'm in my early 20's and I love 16bit sprites.

 

[Nenen]

How to draw people attention & have them to install your game, despite the fact that your game are suck.

I think this is the worst part of what you said... Most of the other things (learning from what you like) are good things that work in any field. But when it comes to physiological manipulation, that's unethical.
(I recommend everybody read Jamie Madigan’s book Getting Gamers where he talks about some of that stuff, whether or not you make games it's useful to know. He also talks about the ethics as well.)

_ _ _ _ _

I'm certainly a 'younger' gamer. My first game was probably a 3D fps.
But I have fallen in love with the Pixel aesthetic, thanks to RPGMaker. (And plenty of other Indie games that use it)
And like a lot of what Chrono Trigger did. (Still a lot more polished then RPGmaker games , and yet I would say that Storytelling has certainly come a long way since then.)
Also certain GBA titles (such as FFT or Fire Emblem) still have that charm and fun as they did back then.

I think it depends on the game. There's games that can stand the test of time, and there's others that need to be refurbished a bit.

 

[AssumedPseudonym]

　I in no way qualify as a “younger” gamer, but speaking on behalf of my six-year-old “niece” (who is actually the daughter of a longtime friend), her favorite two games right now are Animal Crossing: New Horizons and… Final Fantasy. The first one. On an honest-to-gods NES. (I know, 8-bit instead of 16-bit, but she actually wants to finish it before trying the SNES titles. …Which she wants to play on an honest-to-gods SNES.)